Improvement in needle-setters, needle-sharpeners, needle-cases, and rippers



duurt ttrt Letters Patent No. 114,815, dated May 16, 1871.

IMPROVEMENT IN NEEDLE-SETTERS, NEEDLE-SHARPENERS, NEEDLE-CASES, AND R|PPERS.

' The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and maldng part of the same.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELI E. HENDRICK, of Carbondale, in the county of Luzerne and State of Pennsyl- Vania, have invented a Combined Sewing-Machine Needle-Setter, Needle-Sharpener, Needle-Gase, and a Ripping Device; and Ildo hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing making a part of this specification, in which-l- Figure 1 is a side view of the case, whichV incloses the needle-setter and ripping device.

Figure 2 shows the needle-setter and ripping device exposed beyond the end of the case.

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view of part f the case, also showing the setter and ripper.

Figure 4 shows the gauge adjusted for setting a needle.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several gures.

The following description will enable others skilled in the art to understand the construction and manner of using my improved instrument.

In the accompanying drawing- A represents a tube, which maybe made of hard rubber or of metal, and which has a chamber iu one end closed by a cap, c, for containing needles.

The chamber in the other end of the tube or case A contains a sliding plug, B', which is connected by pins t, working in an oblong slot, (l, to a ring-slide, a, on the outside of the case.

l The notches d receive the pins b when slide B is in the position shown in fig. 3, and holdA the slide in this position.

To the outside of, the .case A I secure in any suitable manner a small oblong piece, b, which is made o f stone or other substance which will answer a good purpose for sharpening the points of needles. I

The narrow V-groove in the hone b is intended to receive and guide the point of a needle while sharpening it.

To the outer end of the sliding plug B', and in the center thereof, a tube, B, is permanently secured, which tube terminates in a bifurcation, e, attened as shown in the drawing and having secured in its crotch a knife, g.

This tube B is not so long but that it may be inclosed within the case A when the ring a is slid back, as shown in fig. 1.

Through the flattened portion of the tube B a hole, h., is made for receiving into or through -it the perforated end of a needle.

s, iig. 3, is a sliding point, which is applied to a spring slide iuclosed within the tube B, and which is intended to enter the eye of a needle and hold it firmly in a given position.

The thumb-'screw or knob j is applied to the needleslide, and the neck of the knob works in an oblong slot, fi, made through the tube B.

The spring which is applied in tube B acts to force the point s toward the flattened endof this tube, and is compressed when the point is drawn back to insert a needle througlrthe hole h.

In conjunction with the perforation it and movable points, I employ agauge, k, which is pivoted to the tube B at one side, and curved laterally at the other end.

This gauge 7c is made of two narrow slotted pieces held together by a set-screw for the purpose of shortening or lengthening it, and thus adapt-ing it to short and long needles.

This gauge, being slightly elastic at its curved o'r concaved end, will embrace the tube B, as shown in figs. 2 and 3. Thus the gauge will be held in place out of the way when it is not in use.

The pivot at m will allow the gauge to be adjusted at right angles to the tube B, as indicated in g. 4, in which position it will gauge the depth desiredv to insert a needle into the end of the needle-bar of a4 sewing-machin e.

Operation.

Draw back the point s, 'pass the needle through the hole It until its eye is below said point, turn the long groove in the needle toward the handle or case A, let go the knobj, andthe point s will be forced into the needle-groove; now pull up the needle until the point s enters the eye and fastens the needle. Next, swing the gauge Ic around parallel with theneedle, as shown in tig. 4, enter the needle in its place in the needle-bar, and press it up until they gauge strikes the bott-om of this bar; set the needle fast, draw back the point s, drop the holder oh" the needle, and turn back the gauge k parallel with the tube B, and the instrument is ready for ripping.

This is done by running the flattened end of the tube B between the pieces to be ripped in such mauner that the forks straddle the threads of the seam,

` vand thus' bring the threads against the knife g inthe crotch of said forks. Tile seam should be held together by the left hand, instead of apart, as is customary when ripping with a knife.

To sharpen a needle, its point is oiled and then rubbed gently lengthwise in the lgroove ot' the hone b, at the same time turning the needle to round its point.

.When the setting and ripping devices are not in use they can be pressed` .back into the case A, out of 2. The combination of' the needle-setter, the case sight and out of the way. A, and the hone b, substantially as described.

Having described my invention, 3. The combination of vthe needle-case, the sliding What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Lettube B, and the needle-setting device, substantially as ters Patent, is l described.

1.\ The gauge Il', the perforation h, and sliding point Witnesses: ELI E. HENDRICK. s, in combination with the ripping device e q on tube JQHN STUART,

B, substantially as explained. GEO. H. SQUIER. 

